


they might not be fancy (but family is family)

by reas_of_sunshine



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Commissioned Work, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Future Fic, Gen, One Shot, Polyamory, Talking, about feelings??? in a mcduck family fic??? hell yea, louie is queer nonbinary and has a husband AND wife what you gonna do about it, the ships are there but not the Main Focus, trying to fit in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24636217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reas_of_sunshine/pseuds/reas_of_sunshine
Summary: Sometime in the somewhat near future, let's say twenty-five years from now, it's Huey, Dewey and Louie's birthday. Naturally, all the family gets together to celebrate. Unlikely members and all—even if they don't always fit in.
Relationships: Della Duck/Penumbra, Gosalyn Mallard/Webby Vanderquack, Louie Duck/Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	they might not be fancy (but family is family)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moon_opals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_opals/gifts).



> moonie, scout and i have a plethora of characters we adore and when i opened commissions, moonie was immediately like ",,,i need this" and who was i to say no lmao
> 
> if you want to commission me for your own fic, ducks or otherwise, here's your info!  
> https://reas-of-sunshine.tumblr.com/post/618839827975127040/
> 
> nix (aka prince phoenix) is owned by myself and scout (scoutsdesk.tumblr.com); bette and bobbi are moonie's children that i basically raised as my own  
> (you can read some shenanigans of kiddo bette in moonie's fic "chasing daisy duck"!)
> 
> you need backstory to really understand the full fic but the cliffnotes is bette was louie's first love, they broke up, bobbi was born, louie met and fell madly in love with nix, but whoops, bette comes back in his life and he still loves her and whoa his kid is awesome he's terrified of letting her down—
> 
> there's also a smattering of oc's that make unnamed cameos that scout and i also own*
> 
> anYWAY ON WITH THE FIC

It was a perfect spring afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky, the sun beaming down to share it’s warmth and cheer everyone up. Bette stayed outside on the front porch not to just enjoy the lovely day, but she was also anxiously waiting on someone.

She squinted at her phone screen in the sunlight, trying to interpret what her immoral cousins meant by  _ they had to make a quick stop _ .

She knew she should have just went to the lot herself in the morning—

Scratch that thought. Bette winced at the sound of the decrepit van rumbling it’s way up to the front door. No doubt her family’s latest junkyard find that they managed to hotwire. One of the doors fell off just as the car stopped, not to her alarm or dismay by any means. And despite the clatter and commotion, one of the passengers waltzed out without being fazed. A passenger who didn’t quite fit the menagerie of Beagles cramped in the minivan; a tiny duckling.

“The name is Beagle,” And a bone-shaped graham cracker hung from her mouth. “Bobbi Beagle,”

Bette couldn’t hold back her laughter and descended the steps to greet her daughter. “Now look at you,” she mused. “Is the fancy outfit what y’all had to stop for?”

Bobbi nodded and began munching on the cracker, paying no mind if crumbs got on the snazzy little sunset orange tuxedo she was wearing.

“Course it was,” Ma Beagle piped up, grumbling to herself as she got out of the driver’s side and rounded the car. “Shoulda told me it was a McDuck shindig—if Bobbi’s here to represent us, I’m not lettin’ her get shown up by them,”

“She’s not here to _ represent _ ,” Bette mumbled, with an eyeroll.

She wasn’t going to argue with her aunt. But the verbiage that was used is what annoyed her.

“And you paid for that, right?” 

“We stole it from a thrift store, ain’t no one gonna miss it,” Ma huffed, pulling out a lint roller from her purse and fussing over Bobbi’s appearance if only for a moment. Not like the ruthless and intimidating Ma Beagle ever wanted a daughter of her own or anything of that sort. “Now, Bobbi, hon, you show all them Ducks who’s the boss,”

Bobbi gave a mock salute, before swiping into her great-aunt’s purse for another graham cracker—

—only for her tiny hand to get smacked away.

“Aw, but Auntie Ma,”

“You’ll get plenty of snacks at… whatever ridiculous thing McDuck’s hosting this time around,”

Bette sighed, “It’s the triplets’ birthday,”

“Louie’s old now,” Bobbi piped up, having somehow swiped another graham cracker anyway and munching on it thoughtfully.

Bette rolled her eyes but smirked a little. “Your dad’s not that old,” she retorted. “Just late to his own birthday party,” Her second half of the statement was twinged with a bit of annoyance because she didn’t want to be here by herself, without him, it felt  _ off _ .

Never mind his family and her family’s decades-long rival — they had bridged that gap a while back, actually. It was more…

...well, maybe her aunt had a bit of a point with the whole ‘representing’ comment. Bette knew there was cultural, class differences between herself and anyone else who was in the mansion. Not like it stood in the way but it was always there. Looming. Reminding her. She found herself brushing invisible dust off Bobbi’s little suit before waving goodbye to her cousins and heading into the manor.

She was even holding her daughter’s hand, even if Bobbi was nearly ten and would normally protest it.

Bobbi squeezed her mom’s hand in response. In reassurance.

Bette knew she wasn’t the only one trying to fit in amidst this new family they found themselves to be a part of.

“Why don’t you go hang out with your cousins ‘til your dad gets here?” she offered.

The gaggle of other children who were the most recent members of the McDuck family ran about the mansion—a triplet set of girls, a rowdy little boy, two young children no older than five—all of which turned Bobbi off and made her give her mother a hesitant frown.

“I’m… sure they’ll like ya,” Bette awkwardly mumbled.

Bobbi sighed and shook her head. “The only thing you’re good at sugarcoating is your beignets, Momma,”

Bette had to roll her eyes at her daughter’s witty retort, but gave her a little shove to… try? Or talk? Or something. She watched her go off, slinking her way through the crowd that they now apparently called family. Now, Bette was going to try and do the same herself, to try and befriend at least one person, maybe one of her brother-in-laws’ wives. They seemed harmless enough.

Or — as she watched Dewey’s wife yell at him (or maybe that was just her regular volume) in her thick brogue — she figured she’d just go drink and make small talk with Webby and Gosalyn. That was probably her safest bet.

.

.

.

“Give me something strong and make it a double,” Bobbi said, hoisting herself up on one of the barstools that circled the kitchen island.

The fridge shut and revealed who was actually ruffling through it.

“You’re not Mrs. B,”

“No, I am not the highly skilled housekeeper you’re seeking. I’m Penumbra. Should I fetch her for you?”

Bobbi squinted at the stranger, or new friend (she wasn’t quite sure yet), she found herself speaking to—and trying to figure out how exactly she was related to this one. “Do you know what ice cream is?” She only asked because this Penumbra didn’t quite seem… familiar.

With a knowing nod, Penumbra opened the freezer and held out a carton. “The sickeningly sweet frozen confection you Earthlings consume when you’re sad,”

Bobbi hesitated for a moment, but nodded nonetheless. Vanilla wasn’t her favorite but she’d make do.

And hey, maybe this Penumbra was pretty cool. She placed the carton in front of Bobbi with a spoon.

“You get me, lady,” she beamed, instantly prying the lid off and digging in. Maybe this family had some normal members, after all. Even if the only normal one was tall and purple. And apparently not from Earth. “What’s your deal here?”

Penumbra furrowed her brow. “You’re asking me what my business is here, correct?”

Bobbi nodded and happily kicked her legs, content with her ice cream and probably hiding in the kitchen all afternoon if she could.

“Well, you see—”

“Penny! There you are, baby!”

Penumbra was swiftly pulled into an embrace, which made her blush deeply, but she still looked mildly annoyed despite the affection. “Della, I’ve told you, that term of endearment makes no sense. I’m a fully grown Moonlander, I’m far from the infant stage,” But nonetheless, she buried her face into Della’s hair, pressing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

Bobbi stuck her tongue out in mock disgust.

“Aw, sorry you had to see us being all gross, kiddo,” Della laughed. “I didn’t know you were coming! Your dad told me we got a new grandkid, but he keeps brushing it off when I tell him I wanna meet you!”

Bobbi halted in the stabbing of the frozen ice cream with her spoon. 

And she looked at her grandmother and… other alien grandmother, apparently, and replied with, “He’s busy,”

Della huffed, giving a dismissive wave. “He’s a great businessperson but he can’t forget about his family,” she gently scolded. “Old and new,” She accompanied her statement with a wink. “Don’t tell anyone your ole grandma confessed she’s getting there, okay?”

Maybe Bobbi judged everyone a little early. Some of the family was cool. At least, these two were.

“Got it,” she smiled.

“And which of your offspring produced this one?” Penumbra mused.

Della looked perplexed, but also lit up. “Oh, I haven’t told you about Louie’s kid yet?!”

Penumbra glanced at her partner and then back to the tiny duckling who stabbed at the frozen chunk of ice cream. “The one affiliated with two partners. But if that’s the case,” she mused, before confusion riddled her expression. “I don’t know my Earth species that well, but you look an awful lot like a duckling, small Earthling,”

Bobbi frowned.

And then growled, low in her throat and a smirk on her face, startling Penumbra and getting a loud laugh out of Della.

“Aw, I should’ve told you, Penny’s scared of dogs. That’s why we got a kitten,” Della said, gently patting Penumbra’s hand. “C’mon, my shining star, let’s get you some air. And find Kitty Hawk, she’s around here somewhere,”

As she comforted her lover and they all but waltzed out of the room, in that rhythm they shared with each other, someone new entered; this mansion may as well have been Grand Calisota Station…

...and hit his head on the doorframe in the process.

“Right. Ducks are usually much shorter,” he grumbled, rubbing at his forehead.

Finally, Bobbi had gotten the ice cream to give and she side-eyed the one of few familiar figures that made up this crazy family. Her father’s husband. Which didn’t make this whole she-suddenly-had-a-dad thing weird or anything. Just… awkward. She thought she had enough people to win over.

“Hey, Nix,” 

Smiling with that warm, almost wise grin of his, the owl sat across the way from Bobbi. “Greetings, Bobbi. I didn’t know you’d be here,”

Bobbi stabbed at the ice cream again, even if it didn’t need it.

“Yeah,” she retorted. “I am. My mom’s here too,”

“I’ll have to go say hello to her too,” he replied. His tone was genuinely sweet. He was a nice guy. Bobbi didn’t have any reason not to like him—other than he seemed too nice. And sometimes he got in the way. But he was well meaning. And gave her fancy chocolates she couldn’t even have.

He smiled like a child who caught another one in a scheme. Not too far off from the set scene, to be fair.

“Mind if I join you?” 

Bobbi shrugged. “Sure. Vanilla kinda sucks anyway,”

“Well, it’s the only flavor your uncles and father can agree on,” Nix chuckled, opening a nearby drawer and fishing out a spoon for himself.

They sat there, eavesdropping on the chaos from where all the action was. Occasionally eating spoonfuls of the ice cream. Comfortable in each other’s silence. She liked him for that—he wasn’t like everyone else here, full of questions about how she grew up and crazy things to say, like calling her an _ Earthling _ . He was quiet. 

He didn’t quite fit in either.

“I think you’re cool,” Bobbi assured, without him even asking. “You make my dad happy,” She dug into her side of the ice cream carton, scooping out a hefty spoonful while Nix just sat there, putting his own spoon down and crossing his arms in thought.

He looked at the young girl (his stepdaughter? sort of?) and saw so much of the man he loved in her. The lazy, almost sly gaze in her eyes, the swoopy bangs, the smile and the schemes…

...how did she get her hands on his wallet?

“This is super fancy,” she mused, not even going through it, just observing the intricate and glamorous design.

“Uh,” Nix just stammered in disbelief for a moment. “It’s Italian leather,”

Bobbi nodded. “Are the sequins real jewels? Probably, ‘cause you’re a prince or whatever,”

“They are,” Nix affirmed, idly poking at his end of the ice cream carton. 

After fiddling with the wallet for another moment or two, she put it down and slid it back across the countertop to him. “I don’t think you’re, like, a second dad or anything,” she admitted. “I’m still getting used to the fact I have one dad. But you’re kind of a fun uncle, I guess. I like you,” She pushed the ice cream away, letting him full reign of it and just sat there, slightly wringing her hands. “Is that okay?”

He smiled wide, because her words were far from eloquent, but they were from the heart.

“That’s more than okay, Bobbi. It’s wonderful,”

Bobbi returned the grin and that was worth more than any luxurious or expensive items that Nix and all of his royal background could ever acquire.

He took his wallet back, and spoke up, “Are you any good at trivia games? Apparently, they’ve started a round. Although I’ve heard they’re all quite competitive,”

“I watch lots of Jeopardy in Auntie Ma’s trailer. She says I’m too smart for my own good,” Bobbi said, with a wonderful bluntness only children could have. 

Nix chuckled at that, the sort that made his whole body shake and a light snort escape him.

“Well, then we ought to go. Don’t want to be late to the real event,”

.

.

.

“You’re late,” Bette mumbled—instantly melting when Louie pressed a firm kiss to her cheek.

“Traffic from New Quackmore was hell,” he sighed. “I tried calling in literally anyone to come and just fly me off the freeway. Apparently that’s ‘not allowed’ and a hazard or whatever,” 

She squinted at him. “But you still had time to get Starducks?”

Louie looked bashful as he took a sip of his iced coffee. “The drive thru provided a shortcut,” he fibbed.

“I’m sure it did,” Bette retorted, but not without a fond smile. It wouldn’t be typical for Louie Duck to be late without some ridiculous excuse. “Sorry the party went on without one of it’s guests of honor. I would’ve stopped ‘em, honest,”

“Oh, it’s fine, Betsy,” 

“Betsy,” she echoed, giving a curious squint.

Louie leaned in and stole a quick kiss from her lips, whispering something about making it up to him tonight, it was his birthday, after all.

Bette punched him in the shoulder. Rather harshly too.

Accompanied by a wink, of course.

“Man, and I thought we were the sickeningly in love ones here,” Gosalyn grumbled. “Webster, we gotta up our game,”

Webby hesitated, “We  _ could  _ have another baby—”

Gosalyn literally shuddered. Or maybe that was because her always too energetic daughter, who was sitting in her lap, spilled soda all over both of them. She inhaled sharply, eyeing their son who was all but the antithesis of his older sister. Happily asleep in Webby’s arms.

“At least one of them is well behaved,” she grumbled, before heading off to find something to dry herself off with.

“Kids,” Bette mused. “Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em,” She paused, almost for dramatic effect, and then looked back at Louie. “Bobbi’s here, y’know,”

He went from cool, collected, the second richest duck in the room and he was well aware of it—to a nervous wreck who clutched his coffee cup tightly enough to crush it. He nodded, almost like he was shaking off the sudden shift. 

“You brought her?”

“Did I bring our daughter to her father’s birthday? That he insisted we attend?” 

Louie stammered and lowered his voice, “I wanted you guys to meet my family. Over Christmas or something. Isn’t this kind of soon?”

Bette just shrugged, facing away from him. “You got what ya wanted, Lou. Ya always do,”

And this was why he loved her. Because she was  _ goddamn Bette Beulah Beagle _ . No one could tell her what to do, no one knew what to expect from her, and most importantly, no one ever tried to outsmart her, not even the sharpest of the sharpies. Not a single thing — family rivalries, daunting relatives, years apart — could keep him away.

He sighed, blowing his bangs out of his face in the process, and shook his head.

Bette just smiled into her drink, watching him go. The smile was one of victory, of  _ “ha, I won,”  _ but also… sentiment. There he went, off to talk to _ their  _ daughter. Not just hers and not just his. Maybe he had his valid reasons for pushing this whole finally meeting all of his insane, intimidating family at once. It made their own little family, or attempt at once, feel a little more put together.

.

.

.

Bobbi couldn’t put it together. How friendly and cool and forward everyone was. Sure, she had been used to that sort of vibe for years with the junkyard gang she called family. But they weren’t like that with  _ everyone _ . All these crazy people were.

And despite everyone saying oh, she was exactly her father’s daughter—

—Bobbi would criticize her mother for being this cynical but here she was.

The cool purple lady who dressed like a librarian gave her the cheap trophy for winning the family trivia game by a landslide. Another treasure for her shelf of small victories; it would go with her first package of gum that she shoplifted, the leg from the first teddy bear she tore to pieces and her first detention slip. Despite the family being full of curious characters, Bobbi couldn’t find a place she quite fit.

Maybe she should have just asked her mom if she could stay at the junkyard.

“Hey,” 

Bobbi didn’t look up, but responded anyway. “Hey,”

Louie stood at the bottom of the stairs, awkwardly rocking back and forth on his heels. “Can’t believe a nine year old beat Huey. Best birthday gift I could’ve gotten,”

He bit his tongue in regret.

She wasn’t just a nine year old.

She was  _ his  _ nine year old.

“He had a lot of tells for when he didn’t know the answer,” Bobbi said simply, putting down the dollar-store trophy and shrugging off her suit jacket. It was stupid for her to dress up like this. She could have gone in her t-shirt and denim vest, but her family insisted.

Her family this and her family that.

She just wanted to be Bobbi.

Whatever that entailed. She wasn’t sure yet.

And maybe the only person who could tell was the one who had just recently come into her life.

“I know how you feel,” Louie spoke up, ascending the few steps and sitting down next to his daughter.

Bobbi just awkwardly folded the suit jacket in her lap and didn’t make eye contact with him. “You’re just saying that. Is that line in one of those cheesy dad books Uncle Huey gave you?” she said, half joking. But also half serious. She saw them on his desk everytime she went to see him at work.

Louie rolled his eyes. “No,” he defended. 

Sure, he skimmed a page or two but that was a whole other matter.

“I mean, the whole not fitting in your own family thing,” he continued. “When I was about your age, I was kinda the same way. I didn’t fit with the mold of everyone else. They wanted to adventure for the thrills and glory and stuff—I was just thinking the quickest way to pawn off whatever treasure we found. I was fine staying on the couch all day, writing down get-rich-quick ideas. Hard work made me wanna throw up,”

Bobbi gave him a skeptical look and it was like looking in a mirror. 

Or, in the case of his crazy family, like going back in time and seeing his younger self.

“Yeah, I know, look at what happened,” he huffed. “But listen, Bobbi,” He reached out and gently ruffled her pretty brown curls. “Whoever you turn out to be, we’re all gonna love you,”

“Even if I steal everyone’s snacks and think you’re all a bunch of weirdos?” she retorted.

Louie chuckled, “Especially then. And if you’ll have me, even if it’s been awkward recently, I’ll always—” He faltered. He didn’t think he deserved the title of being her dad yet. He had just recently become part of her life. “I’ll always be there for you,”

Bobbi paused.

And then held up the cheap trophy, holding it out to him.

“What’s this for?”

“For giving the okayest attempt at being a dad,” she said, with an all too familiar shit-eating grin.

She wasn’t entirely his daughter. There were so many pure parts of Bette in her, for better or for worse.

Louie chuckled and accepted it. “I’m honored,”

“Good,” Bobbi beamed. “Cause we didn’t have time to get you a gift,”

He wouldn’t admit it, for fear of sounding corny and turning her off with the sentiment right away, but spending a day with her, with Bette—when they had never come to family events before? That meant the world to him. More than any material gifts he could get today…

(...even if he had taken a peek at all the gifts Nix had gotten him. They were a very, very close second.)

**Author's Note:**

> *the unnamed cameos owned by scout and myself are: huey's triplet daughters (vonnie ronnie and tilly), dewey's wife and son (amethyst aka amy, and wilbur) and webby and gosalyn's kids (eloise and clark—bonus if you can figure out the double reference behind those names)
> 
> and once more with feeling, if you wanna get a piece of this:  
> https://reas-of-sunshine.tumblr.com/post/618839827975127040/
> 
> this fic was made possible by comments like you!  
> ~reagan


End file.
